Joe Girardi's bold move in the ninth inning of a playoff game - pinch hitting Raul Ibanez for Alex Rodriguez - was hailed as courageous and admirable.
If only we had known.
Jerry Girardi, father of the Yankees manager, died Saturday after suffering from Alzheimer's for several years. His son told few people, never left his team, and managed three postseason games under intense scrutiny while coping with the loss of his father. Girardi and the team only acknowledged the news after it started to become public Thursday before Game 4 of the American League Division Series.
"One of the reasons I didn't say anything, I knew talking about it would make it probably even harder," Girardi said at a poignant pregame news conference Thursday prior to Game 4. "Saturday when we were on the bus going to the train station, we were on the Henry Hudson about noon (when) I got the call that my father had passed.
"I had tears in my eyes on the bus, so I put some sunglasses on. And probably what a l...

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